The federal Industry Minister warned the Canadian Auto Workers union Monday night it must be prepared to make concessions as part of a federal government aid plan to help the ailing Detroit-based auto manufacturers.

“It’s got to be a message that’s got to be heard by the union,” Tony Clement said in an interview with CPAC, the privately-owned public-affairs channel. “There’s a lot of transformation that has to occur — let’s put it that way.”

Mr. Clement is the first federal politician to indicate that union concessions must be part of an overall plan to help rescue General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC.

Back in the USA, from Marketwatch, “Fed unveils $200 billion plan to bolster consumer lending“: “NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — The Federal Reserve unveiled Tuesday what it called a term asset-backed securities loan facility, a plan under which it will lend up to $200 billion to support the issuance of debt backed by consumer and small-business debt, such as credit-card loans, student debt, auto loans and loans backed by the Small Business Administration.”